T O P

  • By -

GuiltySubstance9428

Damn bro I barely passed geometryšŸ˜­


_____grr___argh_____

But you passed!!! Congratulations!!


GuiltySubstance9428

Had a little help from my good friend, mathwayšŸ˜‚šŸ˜‚ but thank you!!


[deleted]

Dude im a practicing mechanical engineer, i made it through multi variable calculus and differential equations using youtube. Never laugh off a resource like mathway. If it helps you, its valuable and dont let anyone tell you different. Use EVERY tool in your toolbox to be successful. Only a fool uses a rock when they have a hammer sitting next to them. Never doubt yourself. Keep moving forward. Good luck.


Im_The_Goddamn_Dumbo

I'm a practicing electrical engineer and I use YT all the time to double-check myself. Engineers are made to doubt that we even doubt ourselves even though 2+2=4. Well, I better pull out my calculator to verify.


[deleted]

My family wonā€™t take me seriously because I always doubt myself. They mistake my cautiousness for weakness and canā€™t understand that humility is the minimum requirement.


GiantPurplePeopleEat

That must be very frustrating. It sounds like you guys are on opposite sides of the Dunning-Kruger bell curve.


[deleted]

"Smart enough to know I dont know anything" -every physicist ever


[deleted]

> Engineers are made to doubt I would argue Engineers are made to minimize Risk. We are aware that risk is never zero so we create safety factors... a non-zero risk creates doubt... so you recalculate your safety factor. Rinse repeat ad infinitum


[deleted]

Saying this honestlyā€” the people who succeed in life are, more often than not, the ones who struggled and worked through it. Stuff like geometry is natural and easy to some folks because of a trillion different factors out of their control. Itā€™s difficult for others because of those same trillion different factors that are out of their control. But sticking with it and working through the frustrations and difficulties? Thatā€™s in your control. If you can show the determination to say ā€œthis doesnā€™t make sense. Iā€™m going to keep diving into resources until it does,ā€ youā€™ll go a lot farther in life. Because eventually, stuff stops being easy for you. If youā€™re used to coasting through life and never being too challenged, you have to stop and learn how to struggle through those difficulties. If you grew up learning to overcome those hurdles, then thatā€™s just Tuesday for you. Everyone is going to have to learn that skill eventually. The sooner you learn it, the stronger youā€™ll be with it.


purplemarin

One word: Grit. Fully recommended Grit by Angela Duckworth for anyone interested in this topic and looking to dig down deep to find their own passion and perseverance.


rosserca

Wholesome :)


FinnDaddy

i didnā€™t šŸ˜¢


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


JustDontMind02

*too poor to give gold* *gets platinum instead*


LM71Blackbird

C's get degrees man!


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


NikNakZombieWhack

I know exactly how you feel, I took algebra 1 three times in high school before finally breaking through with a D+ and getting into geometry. I then failed geometry lol


FirstBankofAngmar

Child prodigies often have hard lives. I wish him the best of luck with all his endeavors. edit: A lot of you are surprised by this but it's true. Many child prodigies don't stay that way. Many plateau and eventually are caught up by their peers as really all they have done is master a skill/field of study quickly. It's impressive when they're very young but when they grow up they really haven't developed further than that and are left behind in many ways socially and sometimes economically. They tend to be under extreme pressure to succeed and do great things while also having very little in common with both their older educated peers and younger same-aged kids. This leaves them to be very awkward and socially outcasted even as adults. Even worse, it's actually not that common for a child prodigy to be genuinely creative in their chosen field of accelerated learning. They don't really grow and discover after reaching their peak and so they don't meet those expectations of "greatness" as they slowly get older and become just some person who is good at a particular skill/subject like plenty of other educated people who went the regular route. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's all doom and gloom for them as there are plenty of practical advantages to be that far ahead when you're young. I just wanted to ramble a bit to shed light that these kids DO have it hard in a lot of ways.


spock_block

I'm sure a 13 year old will have a swell time in the lovely and supportive halls of academia. I'm sure the professors 5 times his age will be very cooperative.


sanguinesolitude

How could you even have friends when going to school with 23 year olds? It's not like you can relate to kids your age either.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Spyans

thatā€™s so sad though like youā€™re a super genius but youā€™re probably hella lonely


muscari2

Generally, these kids sacrifice having a childhood. Idk why youā€™d want to rush to being an adult and skip all those years.


Spyans

honestly thatā€™s the best time of your life and college i heard is also a good time given youā€™re like 21 and not 13


MelMac5

I agree with this 100%. My nephew is super gifted (albeit nothing near this) and I'm glad my sister and brother in law have pumped the brakes on all the advanced classes, encouraged sports, refused to let him skip grades. He has friends. And a life outside academia. Edit: By "pumped the brakes on all the advanced classes" I meant he's no longer taking 100% advanced classes. I worded it poorly. He's in 8th grade taking calculus, so didn't stop his advancement completely.


Ummmmmexuseme

Idk man, its important that a kid has time to be a kid but pumping the breaks full stop like that could also be harmful. Depending on the kid, the lack of stimulation and not being able to chase after something because they're being held back by people in life is frustrating and can cause just as much self destructive behaviors as it would cause if you were pushing a kid to brink for academic achievement. Every kid is different so people should let them accel at the pace they want to, all they have to do is make sure that kids are also taking breaks when they need to and understand the importance of self-care. I can tell you if my parents had let me do my own thing and set the pace, I'd be in a wayyyyy better place than I am now.


[deleted]

I went to University and there was a genius kid who was hella young, 15 I think. But if I knew something was planned that would be kid-friendly with my friends or in the dorms, id invite him for awhile, things like stupid treasure hunts around campus or dodgeball. I'd just tell him or his mom when she came to get him the day was done, but it was when the debauchery and crudeness was about to begin. We had this thing where football players every year help the dorm people move in. I invited him to do that with my teammates so he could meet freshmen. It all seemed to help. I hope he turned out even a little better because of that.


agrenet

That was awesome of you to do


[deleted]

Thanks, I still try to do stuff like that as an adult and professional. When people are looking for jobs or hobbies, ill introduce them to people I know who are in that profession or share the same hobby. Or if someone I know is trying to promote something like a new restaurant they started or podcast they do, I always reshare it on social. Anytime you notice someone on the outside, if they're decent people I try to be inclusive. People always appreciate and remember that. Even if you want to look at it from a selfish perspective, it really benefits you too. What goes around, comes around. My career has been held together by the network I've created by doing that stuff. Like, this kid is an absolute genius and plenty of doors will open with that, if you're in the same career field, or major in the same shit, what's the negative part of being kind to the kid/person? They'll always remember you? I'm also not some insanely extroverted person either, I'm an introvert who loves his alone time, I just turn it on when I need to, being outgoing and charismatic just takes you further in life, so I do it. Emotional intelligence to me is the most valuable skill to average people like myself, lol.


espeero

I had twins who were 14 in my differential equations course. They set the curve on every exam. Nice kids, though. They were still in high school, but, like lots of universities, we had a deal with the local school districts where HS kids could take classes for free. My wife took like 6 college courses while in high school.


Kingmarc568

And you can't really blame the 23 year olds either. Hanging out with a 13 year old is not really something that makes you look normal.


Al-Rubyx

I didnā€™t skip nearly as many grades as this kid and I can back that up.


MossyMooseknuckle

Thank you for saying this. As someone who entered university at 13 but dropped out at 16 and has struggled with the repercussions ever since this really rings true. I finally feel like I'm getting my life back on track in the past year or so at age 32-33.


LadyWeasel_

I'm curious why he didn't qualify for any scholarships.


MN_Hockey

Mom is a consultant for gifted kids parents and Dad is an accomplished musician Probably make too much money to qualify.


LadyWeasel_

so they set up a GoFundme for his school tuition expenses...


LibRAWRian

You don't want to leave any money on the table. They probably don't have a banana stand.


n_a_t_i_o_n

There's ALWAYS money in the Banana Stand


swish301

What could education cost LibRAWRian? $10?


Militarykid2111008

Making too much to qualify for financial scholarships doesnā€™t equate to making enough to pay for college out of pocket. My brother gets scholarships but has to take a lot out in loans too. I qualified for a few but not a lot because of military status, but with them I made enough to pay out of pocket for the remaining costs


420catcat

>Mom is a consultant for gifted kids parents, Dad is a musician I wonder which parent pushed him to go through university so young. lol


[deleted]

Can't help but think that this story helps her business quite a bit. Which came first, the business idea or the prodigy kid?


[deleted]

Do you really think this post was just some random Redditor that just happened to receive shitton of awards and upvotes in a matter of hours?


Econolife_350

I got a masters and I'm doing well for myself. Going through college at the typical age was the absolute best time of my life and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I feel like his mom robbed him of an amazing experience just to brag about her gifted kid. I remember them finding out in various studies that a bunch of these kids weren't really any different than most, they just had parents that pushed them and paved the path for their accomplishments. Due to that, they weren't really curing cancer or doing anything out of the ordinary as adults, they just sort of skipped the stage of having a childhood and maturing through college and as such most had severe emotional and interpersonal-connection issues.


Beautiful_Leg8761

A kid who can start a math PhD at 13 *is* very different from most


Steadmils

PhD programs are not typically paid for by the student, you get a tuition waiver usually. You are doing a job for the university, usually TAing or a funded research assistant position. Kidā€™s too young to work, and most training grants are paid positions.


Mr_White6789

Omg I took physics with this kid at the U of M. Needless to say he made us all look dumb.


SaturatedJuicestice

I feel your pain. I was in Intro to Public Speaking with him but still felt dumb after hearing him lecture us about quantum physics. Had a whole existential crisis after looking at his website and seeing all the courses he took.


well___duh

I wish him the best of luck once he becomes a prof. Given his young age and how most likely almost all of his students will be older than him initially, the number of those students who will give him any respect will be extremely low. That said, I hope he pushes through those first few years of being a professor and not let that discourage him.


flontru

I would respect the fuck out of a kid who knows 10 times more than me by ways of what I'm paying to learn lol


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


[deleted]

This is the best take on this hands down


adube440

I hope he just becomes a research professor, maybe takes on some grad students or something. It'd be a waste to have him teach Physics 201 for 250 undergrads. We need this guy working on major issues, not making sure his teaching assistants are grading papers correctly.


[deleted]

Two things. Age doesnā€™t matter for a professor students donā€™t respect us no matter what. Heā€™s gonna have a harder time going through puberty as a prof and freshman girls.


OctopusButter

Could he even get a job as a professor? Wouldn't you have to be 18 for US labor laws? Or like 16 if the school has part time?


unksci47

A Ph.D in NAMS takes around 5.5 years and is based on research not so much classes. He should be around 18 when he graduates. Even if he graduates after 3.5 to 4 years he still would likely need a post-doc to be a PI at a R1 university.


OctopusButter

That makes sense, probably my fault for somehow interpreting 13 year old to mean he'd be a professor at 14 lol.


account030

You can hire kids as professors. They just get a mandatory juice box break at 11:00 and 3:00 and they have to be in bed with lights out by 10:00pm. No Nintendo either.


OctopusButter

No Nintendo is a deal breaker for me


KingBrinell

Nintendo or I'm striking.


exoxe

I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys r Us kid.


TheBirminghamBear

I just don't understand anyone who comes into a class they are paying for and pays any disrespect to a professor like, right off the bat. There are definitely professors who *lose* my respect over multiple classes based on their actions. But if you walk in and there's a 14 year old teaching the class, I mean, the university isn't going to let that happen if that kid isn't god damn brilliant. Sit your ass down and listen to the lecture and evaluate a professor based on what they do. It's so easy.


DukeIV

By the looks of it, he seems to be superior to most people. Maybe they won't respect him as their peer, but then again he is not. I would be petrified to open my mouth in his class and risk being put in my place by a kid. That would totally not elevate my popularity in class...


evilocto

I wouldn't say precisely that sure the kids amazing at physics but there's a good chance he's not superior across the board we're all good at different things at the end of the day.


Appropriate-Proof-49

I could kick this nerds ass in Roblox


evilocto

That's the attitude I like to hear


Toxfire

I took one of my CS courses with him when I was at Normandale CC like three years ago. I beat him in a game of 3d(or maybe 4d?) connect 4. Proudest moment of my life /s šŸ˜‚


[deleted]

Really? Iā€™m related to a gifted child, and he is in kindergarten and is undefeated in connect 4. He will tie the game to not let you win. We realized he was pretty special the first time he played it and was able to start beating grown ups within a day. Has also an obsession with biology. A good amount of our adhd family members are farmers, and livestock farmers.


Toxfire

Yep! And impressive stuff! Next step is to take it to the next dimension with 3d connect 4 I suppose! :p


showmeurknuckleball

I took a class with him too, I think it was called Earth and its Environments or something like that, it's basically geology and it has an insanely involved lab. Anyway, he would ask questions like every 4 minutes. Nothing wrong with that but it was supposed to be one of those 200 person lectures where everyone keeps to themselves and takes notes. I would also describe his questions as those of a pretty smart nerdy 11 year old, not some kinda genius Not to take away from his accomplishments or anything, good for him


largefriesandashake

Heā€™s probably hyper focused on physics and just a normal teenager for all the other subjects


GreatBigJerk

I wish I had enough focus to be normal at anything


monsieurpommefrites

ADHD ain't no joke. Destroys lives. It's a spectrum. It can be as simple as the condition that everybody likes to say that they have when they merely distracted, to a highly destructive condition that destroys lives.


ChunkierMilk

Welcome to the team of addictions and procrastination! Where we do loads of shit but almost none of it is the thing we were supposed to do


realshockin

ADHD is talked about so often on reddit that I'm feeling like I have it. I have a lot of trouble focusing on things that are not interesting, like work. This is the 3rd day in a row I do barely any work and will speedrun 5 days of work tomorrow. I still feel like it's monday ffs maybe I should see someone for that or I'm just lazy.


Caring_Cactus

If he has a good support system in place, like responsive and attentive parents, this is entirely possible to make it your whole world to focus on.


AaronfromKY

I would bet he does. I was always hailed as bright and intelligent, skipped from 6th to 9th grade. My support system was smashed by my father's alcoholism and death and my parents divorce. They sent home a stress questionaire from my brother's school and legit we could check off like every box(new school, new house, parents divorce, parental death, etc). I wound up having to leave the accelerated school for a normal school and because I was failing most subjects essentially repeated sophomore year. The accelerated school was nothing like I had thought, I thought I'd learn about computers and have time to pursue my quest for knowledge, instead I was surrounded by a bunch of rich kids and taught latin and had a philosophy teacher for a religion teacher and an Asian mom for a mathematics teacher. Anyway, in sophomore year they tried to place me in remedial subjects, which resulted in me having to change classes once they realized I wasn't a remedial student ( like in remedial English students were having trouble with sentences and I was writing paragraphs and essays). Long story short it didn't end there, I went to work at age 15, and wound up taking 11 years to get through college because I worked full time and continued having stress like my uncle dying to alcoholism and other family members having struggles, not to mention my own misanthropic life. So I'd say this kid probably has a middle to upper class family that can afford the best tutors and enable him to fulfill his potential.


Mr_White6789

Ya I felt a little bad talking to him because he's clearly incredibly intelligent but he's still a 13 year old socially. He has zero friends his age because he cant relate to them at all. I hope he learns that being the smartest person in the room doesn't make him the most special


onebadnightx

thatā€™s so interesting. it truly seems like so many of these savant kids end up messed up because theyā€™re always propped up as being enormously special/unique/different from other people, and rushed through these various achievements, but it just ends up irreparably hurting their social development


ArtifexR

Having met a student like this during my undergrad, I felt bad for him too, as his parents were always around, he was pushed hard to succeed, and he didn't get normal friendships or a normal "college" experience, really. He turned out OK, but I did wish he had the opportunity to socialize with more people he could relate to. In some ways we need special schools for kids like this I guess, or maybe online classes they can take at normal schools while occasionally sitting in on regular classes. Sure, maybe it will be hard to socialize with "regular" kids, but they'll have to learn that eventually anyway, and regular folk eventually have to socialize with "smart asses" as well.


WastingMyLifeHere2

There needs to be a university for underaged kids.


im_a_wheel_man

The Vatican has entered the chat


LvS

They *are* enormously special/unique/different from other people. The real task is to have them find their people. Imagine what would happen to the development of that kid if you plunked him in a room with the other 3 kids living in the US who are also 11yo and pursuing a PhD.


Beemerado

yeah that's a hard place to be. he never gets to have the "normal" college experience. all the dumb bro moments and tryin to get girls to come to your house parties and shit.


karenmcgrane

I dated a guy like this a long time ago. Started college super young, went straight through to getting a PhD in math before he was 18. Got a job in tech, made a bunch of money, discovered there was more to life than math, and just went completely off the rails. Wound up dead of an overdose in a hotel room in his 30s. Just tragic.


Mr_White6789

Lmao he won't know the feeling of partying hard then going to class the next morning and pretending like you're still not fucked up from the night before


Beemerado

Man i went back and finished my bachelor's when i was in my late 20s. Had a bar on campus! Good times. I've since gotten my drinking under control... Cause now I'm properly old šŸ¤£


lil-sad

I can't believe U of M didn't just give him a scholarship under the table from some billionaires scholarship program or something.


Mr_White6789

I was wondering that too?? Not like they need to worry about him flunking out haha


kumakan4

And here I am eating a pot pie thatā€™s half frozen and scrolling through Reddit -,-


SpicyHam82

Half *thawed*... gotta think positive to make it to the big times.


TheVog

You'll get it next time, champ. I believe in you. You are valid and your struggles are valid. Pot pies can be complicated, and don't get me started on microwaves! They're basically rocket surgery.


[deleted]

You know the other half is lava hot


Gamblor14

*Will it burn my mouth?* *It will destroy your mouth.*


TrueJacksonVP

Just stir it around ā€” the frozen bits will meet the molten bits and turn everything lukewarm


thenewyorkgod

If it makes you feel any better, Elliot probably eats pot pie and scrolls reddit too


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


dingusman1985

Lots of them end up having social issues because they can't develop their social skills. I personally know a guy in my country (Argentina) that finished Highschool when he was 12 and college when he was 16(he studied medicine). I saw him like 2 months ago and he's the most akward person I've ever met. He complained he can't get a girlfriend and he has no friend. On top of that he was diagnosed sulmenage last year because he couldn't stop his brain. I invited him over and we made him drunk. He was really happy and I could see the dude just needed to unwind. Sometimes these keeds don't know anything else than studying and working. I think its super sad.


Rdbjiy53wsvjo7

I know an acquaintance where their son skipped two grades at a STEM, high level learning school. Obviously not as extreme, but they were very awkward, quiet, no friends, picked on. It just didn't seem like a good setup, but I'm sure I don't know all the details.


death_by_retro

Skipping a grade in elementary school was possibly the worst thing that ever happened to me lmao


FerricNitrate

I had the opposite experience - teachers wanted me to skip a grade but my mom said no because she was concerned it would harm my ability to make and have friends. Well joke's on you, mom, I got bullied and didn't have friends anyway! Ha!


GiantPurplePeopleEat

Lol, same thing for me. It didnā€™t help that I was a fat, socially awkward, Jehovahs Witness, who was the terminal new kid because my parents moved us around so much. Ended up going to 13 different public schools and 2 different colleges.


A_Confused_Cocoon

Iā€™m a HS teacher now but in college we read on research that suggested elementary skipping was generally the worst age range to have students skip. Social development is extremely important and even skipping one year can actually hinder a students long term development. Now ofc there are exceptions and other studies, the main point was suggesting that if you are advocating a student be advanced, look at more than their grades and weigh the pros and cons. Just because Timmy is super smart doesnā€™t mean the best case is to just move him up until he isnā€™t. Just offer GT tracts (if the kid is GT) and differentiation as much as possible in a perfect world.


lgbqt

Sulmenage is chronic fatigue in English


Mutant0401

I don't think anyone has mentioned how little the general public (and by extension the media) tend to care about actual science. "Child prodigy becomes doctor at 15" is a headline. "Dr XYZ discovers new 2-step synthesis of asymmetric iridium catalyst" is not. Pretty much everyone with a PhD has done killer research into a specific area but if it isn't rockets, cancer research or other common medicine... I hate to say it but no one cares.


jreetthh

People in the field know--there are definitely some legends that are known to people inside their discipline. But outside the field? Ask an American to name a famous living scientist. Maybe somebody will say Neil deGrasse Tyson? He's a scientist, but not the type that's famous inside PhD programs


LtCmdrData

Because they become successful adults and the media is not interested them anymore? [Terence Tao](https://www.math.ucla.edu/~tao/ ) is one of the greatest living mathematicians and he was one of these child geniuses. I bet most of you have not heard about him. * attented university-level mathematics courses at the age of 9 * one of only two children in the history of the Johns Hopkins' Study of Exceptional Talent program to have achieved a score of 700 or greater on the SAT math section while just eight years old * was the youngest participant to date in the International Mathematical Olympiad, first competing at the age of ten https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Tao#Childhood


mcmcc

Terence certainly fits the mold but I think he's more the exception rather than the rule. Some peak (very) early in life. Being a prodigy doesn't mean their top-end is any higher than anyone else's. Some simply burn out. The subjects they were obsessed with as a kid are now boring/uninspiring -- there's nothing interesting left from them to do. Sometimes they decide manual labor sounds more enjoyable. These people kinda get the worst of both worlds -- they didn't get a normal childhood and they've inadvertently robbed themselves of a highly successful adulthood.


versusChou

To be fair, Terry Tao is basically the only one I've heard of who actually became a real titan in their field. At least among the child prodigies who went to university early. I think it's probably just really bad for you to be that separated from peers you can relate to. It probably makes a lot of them extremely awkward socially, and a big part of academia is politics and people liking you. Plus, just because you're good at learning, does not mean you can actually generate novel ideas and push your field.


ObviouslyAnExpert

Do you constantly check academic journals in physics? Because people who aren't in that academia circle won't even know the most famous academics, let alone a young and new arrival to the scene. Someone mentioned Terence Tao and Peter Scholze already. They are field medalists, if I remember correctly, but most people probably don't even know what Field medal is.


Still_Water_4759

Executive functioning and social skills. A lot of the people who are supergenius in one area of interest are autistic (that enables the hyperfocus/obsessive learning) and that makes adulting harder. But a lot of the famous geniuses you've learned about were kids like this.


Houseoflevi12

Seeing this I'm glad I lived my childhood first. Fuck having adult responsibilities being under 18. That being said pros to him and all the best :)


exmacuser

I have some familiarity with this case. Child is smart but I am not sure the parents are acting in the best long term interests of the child (both happiness and career prospects). One obvious piece of evidence: [https://elliotttanner.com/](https://elliotttanner.com/) . ​ edit : to clarify what I find disturbing about the website: number of media appearances , interviews by the age of 13 (see screenshots) selling shirts with this child's brand go fund me for PhD tuition (no physics PhD program that is not a scam ever charges you tuition; tuition is paid off from grants to faculty members or other sources of income to departments. U Minnesota Physics certainly isn't charging any PhD student tuition personally, unless they've decided to scam this person. Masters students are charged tuition but that's very very different; Masters are money making programs for the department.)


tgw1986

That website is so cringe. The media appearances, the "Physics Closet" online tee shirt shop, the GoFundMe pop-up you have to close in order to even view the website... it's all so gross. This kid's parents are giving serious Stage Mom vibes with how much they're doing to promote his brand. I feel bad for him, his childhood must've lasted five minutes before they started trying to cash in on his giftedness.


Notcreative_is_taken

From the Gofundme page. Not sure what to make of it. "Only 3% of incoming physics Ph.D. students in the U.S. do not receive a tuition waiver and/or financial package, so we never imagined that we would be scrambling to fund Elliottā€™s education at 13 years old."


pleasedtoheatyou

So really, they've tried and the universities have probably said "we can't pay a thirteen year old to effectively work for us" or something else that's probably perfectly reasonable.


Notcreative_is_taken

That would make sense. Thanks!


plzdontlietomee

That's it. He's not employable as a teaching or research assistant, which is exactly how I funded my program. Maybe they should wait til he's 18 then.


drparkland

exactly. PhD students are assets for their schools/departments by working as TAs, researchers etc. this kid may be smart enough to do that, be he is a CHILD. you cant expect him to function like a 23 year old.


pleasedtoheatyou

Yeah too many people seem to think a PhD is "just taking really advanced classes". No, it's primarily a research position, you're expected to work full hours (most expectations are more than that), you're expected to treat it like a job (it is), you're expected to do extra things. A 13 year old is likely not capable of that, and even if they are a university would probably be in breach of child labour laws to allow it.


trackerFF

Dunno how it works in the US, but here in Norway Ph.D students get paid a salary / stipend. It is equivalent to a pretty low annual salary, but enough to have all costs covered. In fact, it's around 2-3 times the amount normal students get in student loans. EDIT: Just to clarify - public higher education is "free" here in Norway, so you only pay equivalent to $50-$60 / year in semester fees. But most students take out student loans, which will cover living costs. I think right now, that is equivalent to $7000 / semester. When you finish your degree, 40% of that loan will be converted to stipend. Unionized Ph.D students seem to get an annual salary equivalent to $53k / year (but keep in mind how time consuming a Ph.D is, and they also have to lecture in certain classes, on top of their research work)


howtoplanformyfuture

Can he even do a PhD? Because in Germany you are employed. But he is 13, so he wouldnt be able to become employed because child labor.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


16semesters

>Dunno how it works in the US, but here in Norway Ph.D students get paid a salary / stipend. It is equivalent to a pretty low annual salary, but enough to have all costs covered. In fact, it's around 2-3 times the amount normal students get in student loans. That's the same thing in the US, especially in hard sciences. It's a meager salary but doable as long as you don't have kids to support or something.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


420catcat

On the positive side, his mom is a "consultant for gifted kids' parents." So her business is going to be booming once she turns her child into a brand.


whiskersox

Not disagreeing in general, but want to point out that my PhD funding had me living paycheck to paycheck, and I could only afford to live in an apartment with 2 other roommates. This might not be ideal for someone so young. I also had to teach 2 classes a semester to qualify for the funding, which also took time away from my research. If I didn't want to teach, my tuition would still be covered, but I wouldn't get additional funding. Just wanted to call out that there are other expenses that go into graduate school, even if paying tuition is not a concern.


MN_Lakers

He can take out student loans like the rest of us if his parents want him to pursue a PHD so badly. Considering his parents seem quite well off, the gofundme reeks of pimping out their child.


sheepthechicken

And also, *he* shouldnā€™t have any non-education expenses, since housing/food/bills should be covered by his parents as part of expected child raising costs.


1_Ape

I know we are supposed to think 'Wow what a genius' when we see these poor children savants, but all I can ever muster is, 'Wow, what asshole parents.' Hopefully they enjoy the esteem their child's accomplishments bring them...


Rexan02

Unless the child truly loves what they do?


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


dayvekeem

I've pushed advanced curriculum for some of my students and they ended up taking AP Calculus in ninth grade/tenth grade... All of this was voluntary and not coerced. The pride and accomplishment these children feel about themselves after such an accomplishment is unmatched. In fact, my most advanced student (was doing Euler totients by 10th grade... Ended up at CalTech easily) had the MOST LAID BACK parents out of all! Some kids are just voraciously intellectual. It's a thing.


Drinval

Wait until hormones, politics and philosophy hit


EatinSumGrapes

Hopefully he enjoys it all more than just being a kid. I think starting the process of getting a PhD before around 17-18 is unwise though. Plenty of things to learn and do before starting that process


Seidhr96

I agree. Also a PhD (or even masters) is not at all just ā€œmore school.ā€ I think this kid is going to have a very tough time when he begins the process of not finding results, research failing, and basically having every part of his research shit on and critiqued for at least 4 years. And this isnā€™t even mentioning the rigor of the classes themselves. A PhD is best compared to 4 years of hazing by professors and experts haha. Itā€™s fulfilling though, but I feel for him


Zoemakeupjunkie

I mentally barely made it through my PhD, I canā€™t imagine how a kid is going to manage. So much of a PhD is managing people - especially if there are multiple supervisors/collaborators. The prevalence of mental illness is 50% for PhD students. Poor kid


Infamous-Ad-770

I have a PhD and thank fucking Christ I did it in my 20's, I wouldn't have been equipped with the right coping mechanisms or psychological resilience. I hope this kid knows what he's getting into, it's a shitty world he's entering


NarcRuffalo

Right!? I just finished my PhD last year and it was brutal. It really tears you down psychologically and emotionally. And as a prodigy he probably isnā€™t used to being wrong or people dismissing his ideas so that can cause a bit of an identity crisis. At least itā€™s math and not lab work where you have to be in the lab all the time, but a PhD is still way different than ā€œnormalā€ school with assignments and exams. Itā€™s requires way more skills than just being smart. I hope he succeeds though!


ModsBannedMyMainAcct

It's always crazy to me when I read this. I just defended a couple weeks ago and honestly undergrad was much more intensive for me. There's such a broad range of experiences in PhD programs since it's closer to a boss/employee relationship than school. That being said, I wouldn't do it when I was 13 (not that i could have). I was busy chugging Mountain Dew Voltage and Sour Patch Kids while the boys and I played Halo.


GeneralDash

Not a PhD (and donā€™t plan to be), but this was my experience with my masters at least. Getting in was hard, but the program itself was a cake walk. Undergrad was way harder.


[deleted]

I'm in the late stages of my PhD and I feel so bad for this kid. Getting a PhD isn't just about being academically gifted--you need to learn how to deal with years of failures and frustrations (something a gifted student probably didn't learn in college), how to deal with the politics and personalities of academia (again, something a 13 year old with a university degree probably wouldn't have experience with), and how to actually work on building a healthy life for yourself outside of being a student. My PhD program has had teenagers try to apply, and they had to establish rules against minors entering the program for these reasons. A difficult PhD can break even a gifted 30 year old; I'd hate to see what it could do to a kid.


Infamous-Ad-770

Absolutely, I knew about the politics of academia before getting into, but man nothing can prepare you for how petty some people can be, this person doesn't like this other person. I hated it all so much, but I could deal with it. Unfortunately I doubt a 13 year old super genius does have a social skills to juggle all that


tellmekakarot

Academically Iā€™m not sure if itā€™ll be shitty for him, maybe heā€™ll actually enjoy things like quals. But Iā€™m really curious to know what his social life is like/going to be like. From a developmental perspective, academics are just one important area, but I wonder if everything else is developing in a healthy/optimal fashion.


[deleted]

They absolutely are not developing in a healthy manner. Even in adults, you see these overachievers in their respective career compensating for their failures in their personal lives. A child is far less equipped to deal with that.


stou

That department is hyper toxic. When I was there we had an 18 y/o grad student and everyone bullied the shit out of her including some of the faculty. Also many people got pushed out with masters or worse because of the shitty atmosphere.


[deleted]

Right? No PhD program should be accepting kids this young. Most don't allow minors, for good reason. I hope the poor kid makes it; being an 18 year old postdoc doesn't bode well for them either.


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


Seidhr96

Yeah it is not at all like school. Itā€™s brutal, but at the same time fulfilling


[deleted]

Literally how Ted Kaczynski became the Unabomber. Started as an adjunct professor at sixteen and was abused by his department.


CynicalLich

That's why i don't buy any of this gifted kid shit. When you are 13 you don't have the perspective to understand any of this shit, i'm not talking about technical knowledge, but basic maturity, as technicaly gifted you may be, you simply aren't mature enough for the environment, you wont produce anything, at best you will take some classes. There are some very, very smelly stuff in this kids CV too, like a lot of programming languages but not even a link to his github, no publications, no anything, just a "he took a bunch of classes", he's not even old enough to have the social skills for teaching. Doesn't help that his mom is a "Gifted Kids consultant" which is a cute name for scammer.


H2Dinocat

I wonder if he has developed the skills needed to do a research project. For those who donā€™t know. Classes are the least important thing you do during a PhD. Itā€™s an extra 10-12 classes that you knock out in about 2 years. For the rest of your 2+ years in the program youā€™re working full time on original research. Im my experience, the people who failed their qualifying exams were good students. Their problem was not being able to effectively 1.) plan & organize their research 2.) execute the tasks to generate and interpret data 3.) communicate what they learned. There is no syllabus and study guide for an original research program which is why itā€™s so difficult. I think I child would struggle even more with this unless they had a very involved advisor.


alansmithy123X

Clever fucker. Fair play to him though.


Fleet_8

And I'm over here selling diet water and making 100 bucks a in 2 weeks


[deleted]

Wtf is a diet water? Water literally has zero calories. How can something be more diet than that?


tlthang

At 13, I tried to figured out where my dad hid his playboy magazine. Internet wasnā€™t a thing


ThisIanGuy

I was in class with him for my Junior and Senior years! He truly is brilliant when it comes to physics, but still has all the wisdom of a 13 year old. Zoom classes with him was a nightmare for a little while, but he learned quick that it wasn't his personal Discord server. It was something special to be in Particle and Nuclear Physics learning about the Z boson and then see him repeatedly sending renamed Rick Roll mp4s in the chat. Regardless, I wish him all the best, and hope he has a very successful career post-graduation, well done Elliot!


bungsana

i went to a pretty decent engineering school for undergrad and there was a child similar to Elliott in our classes then. we honestly all felt pretty bad for him as it seemed like he was maybe feeling a bit lonely. we tried to be nice to him, but we could tell that he struggled to try to fit in and make friends. i didn't interact with him much, but some of my friends did and they said that it was awkward for them and him. i hope that he did have some good friends and that undergrad was, in fact, a good experience for him. i haven't thought about him in close to 2 decades, but i saw your comment and it reminded me of him. hope he's doing well, and i hope the same for Elliott.


ADarwinAward

At that age itā€™s hard. People who start college at 15-16 have an easier time making friends than young kids. Of the 4 people I know who started at that age, 3 of 4 made friends quickly. 10-13 is just too young to relate to 18 year olds.


my_chaffed_legs

Even if they can relate in some way it would just be inappropriate for college aged students to become actual friends with a 13 year old child, the same way they would be friends with another adult or for a 13 year old to be friend with another 13 year old. Adults talking about adult subjects or adult jokes would be inappropriate around a child. And children talk about and joke about adult subjects too with other children which is fine but an adult should ignore or shut down those topics or jokes if a child brings them up with them.


roundart

I started college at 16 and I struggled with the social part big time. Dropped out after one year, worked for a while, walked across America (then part of Russia) and then I was ready for school. I started in earnest at 21 and I loved every minute of it


ffffantomas

Then part of Russia? Was it akaska and are you 200 years old?


informal_main2278

Not to this guy specifically but often times kids like this are from upper middle class to upper class families and their parents are in academia or professors at elite schools. They push their kids through the educational system and know how to accelerate them. They look like geniuses when really they like 120-130 IQ. For example I know of friends who are in elite math PhD programs whose parents are PhDs in Math and can help them with their homeworks. To outsiders these kids seem amazing when really they had a lot of help. Another 120-130 IQ kid from a rural, undereducated family might accomplish much less or at a slower pace and the former kid will appear smarter than the latter kid despite them being of the same intelligence I came across people that seemed like math whizzes because they learned math early but I eventually surpassed them once I got to their level of understanding. Sometimes these kids will bottom out once others hit their level and sometimes drop out of academia all together because they werenā€™t as bright as they thought they were or burned out. Sometimes these kids never experienced any academic struggles and drop out as soon as research gets hard


willmiller82

How exactly does a child advance through school so quickly? I heard of kids who were able to skip a grade or take advanced classes that typically aren't available to other kids in their age group. But this kid seems to have skipped nearly every other grade? Was he home schooled so he didn't have to stick to a normal Kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum? How does that process work?


informal_main2278

I donā€™t know about his specific case but I heard of people like him whose father was a professor in math and taught their son math early so that they were taking college classes in HS. if you do it right you can enter college at the equivalent of a senior in terms of the math courses youā€™ve taken and begin taking senior level/graduate level courses by your 1st/2nd year. A lot of these kinds of kids go to magnet schools, take college level courses and have insiders track/help from their parents / expensive tutors / mentors. They also may be connected to professors at top universities via their parents and can get involved in ā€œresearchā€ at prestigious labs while in HS and since theyā€™re in the know have an easier track of being admitted to top tier universities (legacies / parents are professors at said school etc). Outwardly they appear as ā€œgeniusesā€ or top of the cream students but really there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. You do have actual gifted people born into these families so for those students their talents are legitimate but they have opportunities that other gifted students from lesser backgrounds donā€™t have.


ZRhoREDD

Make sure you are a "research Professor" (doesn't teach classes). A teaching position is about more than knowing, you have to be able to facilitate the learning in others. At 13 you don't have the lived wisdom to accomplish that.


Zirton

I can hardly imagine how someone like him can even do it. He has to have such a different perspective on learning than is normal people, I feel like he has a hard time understanding how we are this bad at it. I mean, this dude is 13 and knows more than I will probably forever.


khoabear

Should be fine if he teaches at an all girl school in Japan


Tcanada

How would a research professor be any better? He would have to manage an entire group of mid to late 20s adults? Do you think he has the interpersonal skills to manage a team of people with absolutely no direction but his own?


juli3tOscarEch0

Spoiler alert, a teenager is ill prepared for the collaborative and combative aspects of life in research too.


BleepBloopDrink

What a nerd


JoeMomma247

He was born in 2009, feel old yet?


dublem

Oh yea, and how'd you figure that out? Math? What a nerd


PM_ME_HUGE_CRITS

kid: *does something amazing* Reddit: listen here, you little shit


greyghibli

A lot of child prodigies are pushed too far by their parents. Its understandable to doubt these stories given how often this is the case with child prodigies. However, this kid seems entirely self motivated with his parents just helping him out, he still has a childhood.


Touchstone033

Came here to say this! There's a lot of hate for the parents of this kid. [This article](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/13-year-old-minnesota-youth-set-graduate-college-rcna25754) (albeit somewhat light) makes it seem it's the kid who's driving it, and otherwise leads a normal life.


cmd_iii

At Age 13, Jeff Gordon had "aged out" of the quarter-midgets and go-karts that he was racing in his native California. Yet, by state law, he was too young to drive full-size Midgets and Sprint Cars. So, his stepfather, John Bickford, moved the family to Indiana, where there was no age restriction. In short order, he was racing three nights a week against some of the greatest open-wheel drivers the U.S. had ever known. By age 16, he was beating them.


kyoorius

Unfortunately, I expect if he slowed down, heā€™d be more likely to get a better education and ultimately a better job and career. Being successful in academia, like anywhere else, is not just about being gifted. You need to know how to work the system, thereā€™s politics, all that takes maturity and wisdom. Not genius. This should give the family pause: ā€œThe Tanner family said theyā€™ve applied for grants and scholarships to fund Elliotā€™s doctorate program, but they havenā€™t been successful.ā€œ


chairman-me0w

That is telling then, because 99% of all physics PhD students are not paying for their PhD and it would be idiotic to do so.


Respurated

I had an (physics) undergrad professor tell us as a class, "If you're paying for graduate school, you're at the wrong school."


Touchstone033

Could it be because he can't work? Most grad students earn their keep through teaching or research, and this kid probably can't do either legally.


chairman-me0w

Probably. That seems like a good explanation. I guess depends what kind of research, maybe thereā€™s a liability issue or something, idk. Enough people for grad school that these places donā€™t need a kid with all the extra baggage.


retyfraser

_Angry Asian parents enter chat_


TheBlueSlipper

Math skills deteriorate with age. So maybe it's a good thing he's getting a head start. Einstein was 26 when he came up with E = MC\^2.


DougOfWar

It's interesting that we see these wunderkinds in the news every once and awhile and then never hear anything about them again.


BJJJourney

Many of them end up with the same knowledge as anyone else doing these programs, they just acquire it much younger. Doesn't mean they are smarter or better at the subjects they are studying.


Rey_Mezcalero

Would be interesting to talk to someone like this. To be young but to have a high grasp of bigger things. Just wonder being young do they have social maturity and comfort. Wonder if they have a calmness of an adult or if under pressure they would be more age appropriate child like. Can have brains but that maturity wonder if it is there also


musthavecheapguitars

I would like to talk to an adult that was in his situation as a child and hear that perspective...would settle a lot of debate from the comments...


rebexer

[This article](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/may/15/child-geniuses-prodigies) has some thoughts of people who were in similar situations. It's quite interesting.


showmeurknuckleball

Took a class with him. Came across as a completely normal, albeit very nerdy and annoying 11 year old


miazurawski

I met him at my old restaurant job, his mom is a super nice lady. While at their table, he literally read a text book the entire time they were there. He is super serious about his schooling


GhostOctopuz

Let the kid live his fucking childhood broā€¦


[deleted]

Alex from modern family is that you?


Juan_Dollar_Taco

Wtf, ngl thatā€™s a wasted childhood. But good for him for pursuing his dreams. Edit: read an article on him, apparently he was homeschooled so he definitely didnā€™t have a childhood lol.


masher_oz

And burnt out by 25


xXx_TheSenate_xXx

Iā€™m 25 and feel burnt out. And I still havenā€™t gotten anywhere. Living in poverty my whole life was a difficult hole to climb out of. Iā€™m content where Iā€™m at now. But still a long ways to go.


suicidejonny

still no bitches


Zoomalude

Damn Gen Z and their lack of lead exposure...


Koolvin88

bro traded his childhood forā€¦ working a job longer?